New report explores YouTube's growing impact in Europe
YouTube’s creative ecosystem added over €7B to the EU’s GDP in 2024, while supporting over 200,000 jobs.
Oct 15, 2025 [[read-time]] minute read
In the two decades since YouTube launched, it has reshaped entertainment and opportunity. This is especially true in Europe, where creators are building businesses, shaping culture, and making a significant economic impact. A new report from Oxford Economics reveals that in 2024, YouTube's creative ecosystem contributed over €7 billion to the European Union's GDP, while supporting more than 200,000 full-time equivalent jobs.
“In the EU, the number of channels earning five figures or more in revenue grew by over 15% last year.”
This growth is fueled by a simple idea: sharing a majority of revenue with creators. Globally, we've paid out $100 billion to creators, artists, and media companies over the last four years.
In the EU, the number of channels earning five figures or more in revenue grew by over 15% last year. For many, like German creator Marie of Wurzelwerk, that revenue turns a passion into a thriving business that now supports 27 employees. "I want my channel to feel like we're neighbours talking over the garden fence," Marie says. "That's the kind of connection YouTube makes possible.”
A streaming platform for discovery and knowledge
Beyond economics, YouTube is a powerful tool for learning and a trusted space for families and educators. The report found that:
- 93% of users use the platform to gather information and knowledge.*
- 80% of parents who use YouTube (or YouTube Kids) agree that it provides quality content for their children's learning and/or entertainment.*
- 84% of teachers who use YouTube report that they have used YouTube content in their lessons and/or assignments.*
From Czech journalist Honza Dědek, who turned his YouTube talk show into a multi-platform success, to the team behind Lyynk, who are creating a trusted space for conversations around youth mental health, European creators are building the future.
Find out more in the report.
*According to research by Oxford Economics, 2025